Tieplate



Patented Aprfg, 1935 TIEPLATsf ,Y Frederick L. MacQuarrie, llittsbin'fg',

Calif.

ApplicationvNovember 2, 1932, Serial No. (54(I4,$lllt 'I s claims. (o1. 23a-,298)

This invention relates to` improvements in 4tie plates. `More specifically, the invention relates to the form of construction of the tie bearing portion of a tie plate. The tie bearing surface of my improved platevis such that it efficiently offers resist;-

ance to both longitudinal andlateral creeping; and `is self-seating in the eventthat the `spikes Substantially the ,entire underbecome loose. surface of my improved'plate comprises .shallowpyramidal. depressions whose oblongwbases are longest in thedirection of the lengthof the rail;` Such a structure provides a. tie bearing surface; which will not out theyber'of thefties, yet itV enables the plate to adequately resist both longij tudinal and transverse thrusts, the configuration of each depression being such that there is a greater resistance offered in the direction transverse to the length of the rail than in a direction longitudinally thereof.

For a more complete disclosure of the invention reference may be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tie plate embodying my invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a View of the underside of the tie plate;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3*-3 ofr Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of a tie plate similar to the above, but having inVV addition a pair of tie penetrating ribs on the underside thereof which extend in the direction of the lengthvof the rail.

Referring in detail to the'drawing, I0 represents the tie plate as a whole,^which in the embodiment illustrated has a canted rail engaging upper surface I2 and a rail flange abutment I4 extending in the direction of the length of the rail.

The underside or tie bearing surface of the plate is formed of a plurality of rows I6 of substantially pyramidal depressions I8. The depressions I8 are formed by the intersection of a plurality of girder portions 2li of substantially triangular shape in cross sectionv and beam por-v tions 22 of similar shape in cross section. The base width g of the girder portions 2!! is less than the base Y width b of the beam portions. Similarly, the altitude g of the girder portions 20 is slightly greater than the altitude bof the beam portions. Thus the fiat or blunt apexes g2 ofthe girder portions lie in a plane lower than the flattened blunt apexes b2 of the beam portions.

With such a disposition and proportioning of the beam and girder portions, it is apparent that the beam portions span or bridge the spaces between the girder portions. Due to the fact that the base width g of the girder portions is less than the base atie plate, which is light in weight and one which width b of the'beamlportions, the inclined faces of beam portions are Yat a steeper angle to ther horizontal than' the beamv portions. ThisV relative steepness of eachgirder portion endows' the same with greater resistance to thrust in the direction 5,; transverse to theA rail than that offered byeach beam portion'in'the direction oftherlength of the rail. This relative 'proportion'ing-iof the-respec tive base widths of the beamand girder portions results in the formation of thegsubstantiallypyramidal depressionsy referred to. :These depressions i have oblong'shape'd.basespwhose greatest dime`n sion extends in the direction of the lengthof fthe rail, or, in. other words, inth'e direction of the rail abutment rib ik; frheoppositely inclined walls of the pyramidal depressions terminate kat their upper extremities in small rectangular areas a. These areas are not intendedto form any substantial bearing on the tie.V rThe load on the tie plate is carried in almost its entirety by the multi-Y plicity of oppositely inclined walls ofthe intersecting beamand 'girder portions, which form the pyramidal depressions. Thus, in use, the body of the tie conforms itself to thelshape of the pyramidal depressions.' These are relatively so shal- '25 low that there isV little Yor no cutting of thebers of the tie.

' Each pyramidal depression exerts sort of a compressing action on that portion of the tie on which y the plate is seated. This arrangement provides 0 can beV manufactured quickly and'cheaply and yet give extremely good service in practice. The improved tie plate Amay be provided with suitable spike holes 24, such as indicated in Fig.'2. These 35 may be located to suit.the requirements for theparticular size of base flange of the rail supported by the tie. At each end of the tie plate, beyond the area formed by the pyramidal depressions,rv

there are upwardly` and outwardly inclined mare 40 I ginal bearing portions 23, which extend parallel to and in the direction of the girder portions. These fiat .margins make a neat nish for thev plate and also present a non-undulating undersurface at the extreme ends thereof. 1 This pro-v vides a plane surfacewhich may seat firmly on cases, as illustrated in Fig. 4,1 may form two of the girder portions in such a way that they have a greater altitude so as toprovide tie penetrating ribs thereon, such as indicated Yat 26. Otherwise the construction of Fig` 4 is substantially the same as illustrated in the other figures and further description is unnecessary.

A tie plate embodying the intersecting triangular beam and girder portions has the advantage of extreme lightness Y' coupled with ladequate strength' tok resist the stresses to which plates of this character are subjected. y The cross grillage or'checker work formed by the beam andr girder l portions provides for such a disposition of the metal constituting therplate that high compres# sive strength is secured per unit of weight. Thus,A

a large tonnage of extremely eflicient plates can be produced quite economically. This is an important manufacturing advantage, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. v l 1 Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departure 'from the invention,

as is consistentwith the teachingsof the prior art. What I claim is:- 1. A tie plate having a tie engaging undersurface comprisingva plurality of intersecting :blunt endedibeam and girder-portions of obtuse triangular `cross section, the adjacent beam. portions Ybeing spaced'` apart a distance substantially equal to their base widths andthe girder portions being similarly spaced apartA 'a' distance substantially' equal to theirbasewidths, the inclined walls of said beam'and girder portions'forming substantially the entire tie engaging area of the undersurface of the plate.

2. A tie plate comprising an upper rail supporting surface and having a tie bearing undersurface consisting of a plurality of intersecting blunt ended beam and girder portions substantially triangular in cross section and disposed at right angles to one another, the adjacent beam Vportions. being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to their base widths and the girder portions being similarly spaced `apart a distance substantially equal to their base widths and flat marginal upwardly and outwardly inclined bearing portions which provide plane surfaces adapted to seat on the tie so as to prevent the inward seepage,y of moisture, the inner ends of said marginal bearing portions lying in substantially the same plane as the lower extremities of said girder portions and the lower extremities of the girder portions lying in a plane below said beam portions.

3. A tie plate having the greater portion of its tie bearing undersurface formed of the intersectl 'Y ing sidewalls of `Va plurality of beam and girder hence the claims are to be interpreted as broadly lportions ofjobtuse triangular cross sectional'contour having blunt apexes, the spacing between the adjacent beam and girder portions being substantially equal to the Ybase widths thereof substantially as described; said tie plate having outer marginal flat bearing portions .disposed in the plane substantially coincident with thatof the blunt endsofthe girder portions, the lower extremities of said beam portions being located in a plane above the lower extremities of vsaid girder portions.v

' FREDERICK L; MACQUARRIE. 

